Watch CBS News

Man Charged In Spree Of Robberies, Stabbing On Upper West Side

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man was charged late Friday in connection with a robbery and stabbing on the Upper West Side, and was also charged in a spree of four other incidents.

Rondell Smith, 21, of the Wise Towers development on the Upper West Side, was charged with robbery, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of marijuana in connection with the total of five incidents over the past several days on the Upper West Side.

The robbery and stabbing that made the initial headlines happened around 5 p.m. Thursday. A 33-year-old man was walking along West 88th Street near Columbus Avenue when a male suspect pressed a sharp object to his back and demanded the contents of his pockets, police said.

The suspect then stabbed the victim in the upper back and ran off with his Kindle and headphones, police said.

The victim was taken to Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital where his condition was listed as stable.

Smith was apprehended early Friday morning after another incident, police said. At 2:05 a.m. Friday, a 25-year-old man was robbed of an undetermined amount of money on the northbound platform of the No. 2 train at 96th Street, police said.

The suspect, who was armed with a box cutter and simulated having a gun, then got on the No. 2 train and headed north, police said. The victim reported the robbery to police, who caught up to the suspect at 149th Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx, police said.

Smith was identified as the same person wanted in the robbery and stabbing on Thursday, and was placed in a lineup and charged with robbery in that incident, police said.

Detectives then placed Smith in lineups for three other robberies going back to Wednesday morning, and Smith was charged in all of them.

Around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday, a 70-year-old man was walking his dogs on West 90th Street when a suspect walked up to him and asked what time it was, police said. After the man answered the question, the suspect opened his jacket and revealed the handle of a black gun, police said.

The victim ran off and there were no injuries. Smith was charged with menacing in that case.

Around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a 13-year-old boy was walking down West 89th Street when a suspect walked up to him, threatened him with a knife, and took an undetermined amount of money from him, police said. Smith was charged with robbery in that incident.

And around 2:30 pm. Thursday, a 34-year-old man was walking down Broadway when the suspect asked him where Columbus Avenue was, police said. The man told the suspect, and then the suspect asked for $50, police said.

The victim said no, and the suspect threatened to shoot him, police said. The suspect then forcibly took the man's wallet from his pants and ran off, police said.

Smith was also charged with robbery in that incident.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.